100 years ago, 1918
The Brockton Heel Co. has leased two floors of the old National No. 1 Shoe factory building, Main street, Lewiston, and will begin the manufacture of heels on an extensive scale within a short time. Fred M. Furbush of Auburn, for many years manager of the jail workshop, is to be the local manager of the company. This new industry will begin operations within a few weeks and by early spring will be in full operation, it is expected. Some of the machinery arrived Saturday and a crew of men is now engaged in setting it up and putting things to rights in general, preparatory to starting the factory.
50 years ago, 1968
(Editorial) A resolve calling for a bond issue with which to build a new bridge between Auburn and Lewiston successfully has gone through the preliminary stages at the Legislature. Now, the crucial test is at hand, a test which requires a two-thirds vote of the members present in each branch. The urgent need for the bridge fully was documented at the hearing before the Highway Committee last week. Significantly, the only opponent was a spokesman for the Maine Good Roads Association who pointed out that he personally favored the bridge but the MGRA is opposed on the grounds that the state is bonded beyond its ability to pay. The bridge calls for a $4.5 million bond issue.
25 years ago, 1993
Commenting on Gov. John R. McKernan’s proposal to cut $2 million from the Maine Technical College system’s budget over the next two years, the local campus president said Tuesday “the wolves are not far from the door.” William J. Hierstein, president of Central Maine Technical College, said the governor’s proposal is a slap in the face of higher education and shows a “real lack of commitment” to improving the state’s foundering economy. “The state has a number of problems attracting business and industry, including the cost of workers compensation insurance,” Hierstein said. “But a big problem is that highly technical industries today require a different kind of worker than what Maine can provide.”
The material in Looking Back is reproduced exactly as it originally appeared, although misspellings and errors made at that time may be corrected.
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